ETHIOPIA – Habesha Breweries, Ethiopian beverage company owned by Bavaria N.V. and local investor has expanded its product portfolio with launch of a second beer brand dubbed Kidame Beer.
According to Habesha in a LinkedIn post announcing the launch stated, “Kidame is a refreshing, smooth and easy to drink beer with a mesmerizing aroma made from quality ingredients.”
It is an addition to its signature beer brand ‘Habesha Beer’ which the company is planning to launch a draught version.
The company also owns a non-alcoholic drink, Negus, which has a growing market share in the booming non-alcoholic market.
The launch comes months after International Finance Corporation (IFC) extend a US$55.9 million financing to the brewing company to enable it expand operations and increase local barley sourcing from smallholder farmers.
The loan is co-funded by the Dutch development bank (FMO) and Dutch banks Cooperative Rabobank U.A. (Rabobank) and ING Bank N.V. (ING Bank).
According to IFC, Ethiopia’s brewing industry is fast growing and an important contributor to economic growth, but the sector imports as much as 90% of its malt barley needs.
With the financing, Habesha is planning to increase smallholder farmers partnership from 1,000 to 14,000 in the next five years which will in turn improve household incomes.
In addition, IFC and FMO will help Habesha support farmers’ access to improved seed varieties and other agricultural inputs and provide best practices on agronomy and business management.
The newly unveiled Kidame Beer with 4.8% alcohol brings competition to Heinkene’s Walia, Meta of Diageo and BGI’s St. George brand.
“Kidame is a refreshing, smooth and easy to drink beer with a mesmerizing aroma made from quality ingredients.”
Habesha Breweries
BGI Ethiopia PLC, subsidiary of the Castel Group is also set to introduce a new product, non-alcoholic malt beverage SEN’Q.
The launch follows BGI’s introduction of dark brown beer, Doppel into the market earlier in the year.
“Despite the difficulties that have come out of COVID-19, BGI is working tirelessly to strengthen the severely disrupted economy,” the company said.
Ethiopia’s local beer sector has been hit hard with a slew of challenges, including an increase in tax that was abruptly introduced earlier this year, ban on television advertisement and the COVID-19 pandemic, but the companies are still forging on.
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